About Italy
Italy is a republican European state, located in the southern part of the continent of Europe, one of the countries of the European Union, and consists of the Italian peninsula, in addition to several islands, including Sardinia, Sicily.
Italy is strategically located, occupying a strategic position dominating the central Mediterranean, linked to Western Europe via the Adriatic Sea, linked to Central Europe through the Alps , as well as the strategic location of Sicily overlooking the African coast of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy also shares international land borders with Switzerland and Austria on the northern side, while France is bordered on the northwest and Slovenia on the northeast.
Tourism in Italy
The cities of Italy contain many tourist and cultural landmarks, and various archaeological sites dating back to the times of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, as well as many tourist cities that attract the attention of tourists, and each has its own character; the cities of the north are characterized by picturesque views of the Alps, while distinguished Cities of the South with their coasts on the Mediterranean Sea.
Italy has 50 archaeological sites listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it one of the most visited countries in the world. It should be noted that Italy has always maintained an advanced position in the ranking of the world’s largest tourist countries, and recently, according to the reports of the World Tourism Organization, 2018. It is ranked fifth among the tourist countries in the world, and third place among the countries of Europe, visited by about 62 million visitors.
Cultural and recreational tourism
Italy has many cultural and recreational tourist attractions; it contains forty-four cultural sites inscribed on the List of World Heritage Sites issued by the UNESCO. Italy’s cultural attractions include churches, palaces, castles, dwellings, forts, historic gardens, antiquities, museums, libraries, and other entertainment venues.
Coastal tourism
Coastal tourism in Italy is one of the biggest tourist attractions, accounting for almost half of all visitors to Italy annually. The establishment of Italian coastal resorts in the 18th century contributed to the growth of coastal tourism, both along the coasts of the Italian Peninsula and the coasts of the islands. Major and minor versus mainland.
Religious tourism
Italy is a popular destination for Christian religious tourism. It is visited by many tourists to enjoy the Italian religious heritage.
- Vranchegina by: a historic road to Christianity some tourists still they follow; to explore the many places of worship in all the area.
- Church of St. Peter: which is the largest church in the world, located in the Italian capital Rome, which is the final destination of Christian pilgrimage, and the headquarters of the Papal Church in the world.
- Church of St. Francis of Assisi: which is a church located in the city of Assisi.
- Sanctuary of Loreto: (English: Sanctuary of Loreto), one of the most prominent places of spiritual, cultural and in Europe.
- Shroud of Turin: (English: Shroud of Turin), which is said to represent the remains of images of Christ after the crucifixion, and there in the city of Turin.
Sports tourism
Allows Italy multiple options for lovers of tour sports; it enables them to enjoy many sports facilities equipped, and the practice of various physical activities, sport golf, which amounts to Italy ‘s share market which accounted for 7% of the total return tourism golf in Western Europe, which It is worth 3.6 billion euros.
Tourists in Italy can practice many sports at any time of the year. In winter, mountain heights attract skiers, Italy’s market share of the sport is 5% of the total revenue from ski tourism in the Alps. , which is estimated at approximately € 16 billion.
In summer, there are several other sports that tourists can enjoy and enjoy their time, including horse riding, hiking, in addition to cycling, of which Italy’s market share is 20% of the total revenue Cycling tourism in Central and Southern Europe, worth about 2 billion euros.
Italy also offers diversified underwater sports, fishing in rivers and lakes, paragliding and windsurfing.
Industrial tourism
There are several sectors that represent industrial tourism in Italy, including museums of products of the Italian industry, such as mining museums and metal industries, museums of science and technology, and museums of industrial products such as cars, textile museums, and marine museums.
One of the sectors that represent industrial tourism in Italy is also business-oriented tourism, which is somewhat new in Italy, given the success of the individual initiatives of manufacturers, businesses seeking to promote their products, and open the doors of their factories to tourists, From time to time, Italian chambers of commerce and government authorities sought to market this trade-oriented tourism and business administration to support the local economy and the development of Italian industrial tourism.
It is worth mentioning that it is difficult to estimate the statistics of industrial tourism in Italy, but the increase in the statistics of tourists visiting the industrial sector is a preliminary and real indicator to assess the effects of policies aimed at defending and promoting industrial heritage.
The most important tourist cities in Italy
Italy offers a mix of historic sites, museums, landscapes, and others within its cities, including:
Rome
The city of Rome, known as the Eternal City, is the capital of the province of Lazio, the official capital of the Republic of Italy, and the seat of government and parliament, as well as being the largest and most populous city, as well as the fourth largest city in the European Union, since the founding of the Roman Empire BC, it cannot be ignored as an important political and cultural center throughout history.
The Vatican, a landlocked independent city surrounded by Rome, is home to the Roman Catholic Church, attracting millions of Christian pilgrims to St. Peter’s Basilica and its museums. UNESCO has listed the historic center of Rome and the Vatican World Heritage Sites in 1990.
Venice
Among the most important activities for tourists to do is to ride the gondola in the early morning, and enjoy the contents of Venice sites to visit, including the following:
- Saint Mark’s Basilica
- Ducale Palace (Italian: Palazzo Ducale).
- Museum of the Academy (Italian: Gallerie dell’Accademia).
- Leonardo da Vinci Museum
- Rialto Market
- San Giorgio Maggiore.
- Palace of Fortuny (Palazzo Fortuny)
- Bridge of Sighs.
- St. Mark’s Square
Florence
Florence is located in the center of Tuscany, its official capital. This city emerged in the Middle Ages as a center of financial and banking services. It is a symbol of the Italian Renaissance, where it emerged as a cultural center. The unique artistic character, which contributed to the moment attracted many tourists to it.
In the mid-nineteenth century, Florence became the capital of Italy for a short period after the unification of the regions of Italy, and then tourism played an important role in supporting the local economy, and it should be noted that the historic center of Florence was included in the list of World Heritage Sites issued by UNESCO in 1982; Its historical buildings include churches, palaces, museums, sculptures, and others.
Milan
Milan is a vibrant city rich in Italian heritage, and has occupied great importance throughout history since it was the capital of the western part of the Roman Empire, and this city is famous for art, where the famous Italian painter Leonardo da Vinci, and many of his art Milan also has two major football clubs: Inter Milan and AC Milan.
The impact of tourism on the Italian economy
Italy’s domestic economy depends heavily on tourism, attracting millions of tourists annually, contributing to the growth of several sectors, including hotels, transport services and entertainment, which helps the growth of the Italian economy in general.
The impact of tourism in Italian society
The support of the tourism sector and the interest in the infrastructure of tourist cities in Italy contribute to the creation of more jobs, and thus the high level of income of members of Italian society, but there are fears of the negative impact of excessive interest in the heritage of tourist cities of cultural heritage nature; The obsession with preserving this heritage culture may make those cities lack modern lifestyles. It is important to note that the permanent congestion in the tourist cities may affect the daily lives of residents, and may lead to alienation of some residents, investment companies, and contribute to their departure.
